Spring Break Healthy Eating Tips

Hooray for spring break! I seriously wish I was on vacation right now because ladies, there is a BLIZZARD happening in Chicago. Seriously. For those lucky ducks who are jetting off to a warm, tropical place, I envy you. While many of you may be on an excursion this week, it’s still imperative to maintain your Balanced Babe lifestyle on the go.

I rounded up some approachable spring break healthy eating tips – so take notes!

1: Prep, prep, and more prep!! If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain a nutrient dense diet, then you need to invest your time in food prepping. Before take off, stop at your local Trader Joes or Whole Foods and stock up on some seaweed snacks, kale chips, flaxseed crackers and more. You can never go wrong with healthy munchies, just read your labels. I always keep healthy snacks like these in my purse while on vacation because I tend to get hungry at random times during the day. When you’re not at home and don’t have the convenience of whipping up a quick snack, having some goodies in your purse will help keep your blood sugar stable and your tummy happy.

2: Practice mindful eating at all inclusive resorts: Last time I was at an all inclusive resort I went WILD at the dessert buffet. And I suffered from it (late night tummy aches). While resort buffets and all you can eat restaurants get me excited, it’s still important to practice mindful eating in these situations. Start with the salad bar first and load your plate with greens, veggies, and lean proteins first. Save the carbs and other empty caloric foods for last, you may be full by that time anyways.

3: Walk everywhere: If you are somewhere warm, why wouldn’t you want to walk everywhere? Walking after meals stimulates your digestion and gets foods moving. You will also get more energy from taking a morning stroll after coffee and get your circulation moving. Even better is if you are near a beach – morning beach walks really work your leg muscles from uneven surface and can burn even extra calories.

photo source: mindbodygreen.com

4: Take advantage of hotel yoga classes: A lot of resorts have morning yoga or pilates classes in their gyms – TAKE THEM! They are a great way to follow through with your vacation workouts since you will be in a room with 10 other motivated yogis. Need some privacy? Take out your ipad and put on a youtube video – all you need is 20 minutes of body weight exercises to set the mood for the day.

5: While dining out: Dining out will most likely take up a good amount of your time on vacation. So listen up! In between alcoholic bevvy’s, drink a glass of water to stay hydrated and prevent a next morning hangover. If you are going to indulge in something, choose booze, carbs, or dessert – NOT all three. Don’t see any vegetarian options on your menu? Chef’s can easily whip something up with veggies from other menu items if you nicely ask them to – don’t be afraid to ask since you are a paying customer!

So bon voyage Balanced Babe’s, let me know what healthy eating tips and tricks you used while on vacation!